British gov't to speed up extradition of US-wanted Muslim cleric, XINHUA

Thursday, May 27th 2004, 5:48 pm

By: News On 6

LONDON, May 28 (Xinhua) -- British Home Secretary David Blunkett said Friday the government will process as soon as possible an American extradition request for radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri, who faces 11 terror charges in the United States. I want to see if we can get the extradition request speeded through, Blunkett told BBC Radio. Obviously if we had that evidence and it related to our country, we would have been able to take action through our courts.

I have taken the necessary action that I believe is appropriate to expel him from our country, he added, citing the decision he made last year to have Hamza's citizenship withdrawn. Abu Hamza was arrested at his home in west London early Thursday morning on an extradition warrant at the request of the US authorities. Later Thursday, US Attorney General John Ashcroft announced 11 terror charges against the radical Muslim cleric in New York. The US authorities accused Abu Hamza of being involved in an attack killing four hostages in Yemen in 1998. He was also charged with providing support to al-Qaida and setting up a terrorist training camp in Oregon, the United States. Ashcroft was quoted as saying that the cleric could face death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted guilty. However, under current British and European laws, Britain must ask the United States to pledge that death penalty should not be applied to Abu Hamza.

It is also likely to be several months before a formal committal hearing at which a district judge will look at the evidence and decide whether it is strong enough for Abu Hamza to be extradited. The Egyptian- born cleric, who is one of Britain's best known Islamic radicals, is already at the center of deportation battle with the British Home Office, which wants to withdraw his British citizenship gained through marriage in 1981. His lawyer has argued that stripping him of citizenship would leave
him stateless and would be a breach of his human rights. The cleric, who is also wanted in Yemen on charges of sponsoring terrorists there from Britain, has denied any involvement in terrorist activities.

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